Rufus R. Jones
| birth_place = Dillon, South Carolina | death_date = | death_place = Kansas City, Missouri | resides = | billed = St. Louis, Missouri Amarillo, Texas | trainer = | debut = 1969 | retired = 1987 }} Carey L. Lloyd (July 4, 1933 – November 13, 1993), also known by his ring name Rufus R. "Freight Train" Jones, was an American professional wrestler who competed in the Central States and Mid-Atlantic regional promotions as well as the American Wrestling Association and the National Wrestling Alliance during the 1970s and 1980s. Early life Lloyd grew up in Dillon, South Carolina and attended South Carolina State University, where he played on the football team. He also got involved with boxing and competed as a Golden Gloves boxer. Career Early career Lloyd trained to become a wrestler at the Tony Santos Boston Wrestling School. At the beginning of his career, he used the ring name Buster Lloyd, the Harlem Hangman. He claimed to have learned how to fight on the corner of Lenox Avenue and 125th Street in Harlem. In this gimmick, he wrestled in Texas and criticized the local wrestlers as being inferior fighters to someone who grew up on the streets. He feuded with Tiger Conway, Sr., who emerged the victor in the feud. Lloyd later adopted the ring name of Rufus R. Jones, nicknamed "Freight Train". In interviews, he would tell opponents that his middle initial, R, stood for "guts". He formed a tag team with Burrhead Jones, who was billed as his cousin. Missouri Jones moved to Missouri to wrestle, where he worked for promoter Sam Muchnick in the St. Louis Wrestling Club. He also competed for Heart of America Sports/Central States Wrestling. In 1971, he won his first championship by teaming with Steve Bolus to win the Central States version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship in late 1971. He later won the belt twice more, teaming with The Stomper and Bob Geigel. He also had a short stint in Florida briefly feuding with Leroy Brown in the early 80s. During the year of 1989, Jones traveled to Puerto Rico (In the Caribbean) to wrestle in the World Wrestling Council (Capitol Sports Promotion). Personal life Lloyd was married to Brooksie Jones Lloyd. They had three daughters, Melaney, Crystal, and Kendall, as well as an adopted son, Kenneth Johnson, who worked for the World Wrestling Federation for several years as Reverend Slick. After his retirement from wrestling, Carey Lloyd worked with Bob Geigel in security at a dog-racing track in Kansas City Ks. He then opened a restaurant named Rufus' Ringside Restaurant and Bar in Kansas City, Missouri. On November 13, 1993, Lloyd died of a heart attack while hunting deer in Brunswick, Missouri. Championships and accomplishments *'Central States Wrestling' :*NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (2 times) :*NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Bob Brown (1), Dewey Robertson (1), Mike George (1) :*NWA Central States Television Championship (1 time) :*[[NWA North American Tag Team Championship|NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Central States version)]] (4 times) – with Steve Bolus (1), The Stomper (2), Bob Geigel (2) *'Georgia Championship Wrestling' :*NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Norvell Austin *'Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling' :*NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (1 time) :*NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bugsy McGraw :*NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship (2 times) :*[[WCW World Tag Team Champions|NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version)]] (1 time) – with Wahoo McDaniel *'Pro Wrestling Illustrated' :*PWI ranked him # 477 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003 *'Southeastern Championship Wrestling' :*NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *'World Wrestling Entertainment' :*WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2018) External links *The Way It Was: Rufus R. Jones by Percival A. Friend *Rufus R. Jones: The 'R' Stood For 'Guts' by Mike Mooneyham *Black History Month: Pro Wrestling's Black Stars, Part 3 by Denny Burkholder *Championship Wrestling from Florida: Rufus R. Jones *Rufus R. Jones at Find-A-Grave *Profile at OWW * Profile Category:American wrestlers Category:1933 births Category:1993 deaths Category:1969 debuts Category:1987 retirements Category:All Japan Pro Wrestling alumni Category:American Wrestling Association alumni Category:Central States Wrestling alumni Category:Championship Wrestling From Florida alumni Category:Georgia Championship Wrestling alumni Category:Jim Crockett Promotions alumni Category:Maple Leaf Wrestling alumni Category:National Wrestling Alliance alumni Category:NWA Western States Sports alumni Category:Southeast Championship Wrestling alumni Category:St. Louis Wrestling Club alumni Category:World Wrestling Council alumni Category:Male wrestlers Category:WWE Hall of Fame Legacy Inductee Category:Former boxers Category:Wrestlers who have died Category:Missouri wrestlers